Local median yearly income lower than national, state average

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Butte College nursing program director Susan Craig, right, helps Marialena Palacios of Willows check blood pressure on Gabriela Lozano of Hamilton City in 2015. Jobs in the healthcare sector are among the highest-paid in California, according to new data. (Bill Husa — Enterprise-Record)

CHICO — Butte County’s job market may feel the results of an increased statewide minimum wage when it begins on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

California’s statewide minimum wage will increase to $13 hourly for employers with 26 or more employees, and $12 hourly for employers with 25 or fewer employees. California is among more than 20 other states increasing the minimum wage in 2020.

Rural areas like Butte County with consistently lower median yearly incomes are more likely to have higher numbers of workers affected by the minimum wage increase and may see a benefit to their yearly income. The region’s poverty rate of 20.5% is significantly higher than the national poverty rate of 13.4%.

There has also been significant discussion around whether raising the minimum wage each year has any positive or detrimental effect on the job market. However, jobs that start at minimum wage are common in Butte County, with fewer jobs offering the opportunity to make $40,000 or more per year, according to the latest census data. Therefore each time the minimum wage is raised, workers who depend on these jobs will see some impact on their annual income.

The most current data shows that in 2017 the most common sectors of employment in Butte County were:

Office & administrative support occupations (11,507)

Sales & related occupations (9,658)

Management occupations (9,101)

However, the highest paid jobs in the county are in the health diagnosing & treating practitioners/technical occupation ($91,462), law enforcement workers (including supervisors) ($73,163) and healthcare practice sectors ($66,897).

According to the latest census data in 2017, when Butte County had about 225,000 residents, the average yearly earning in Butte County was approximately $46,516.

In comparison, the median annual income in the United States is $60,336 — and in California, the average median income is $67,169.

By comparison, Tehama County’s median annual income in 2017 was $42,512, while Glenn County’s was $46,260 and Yuba County’s was $51,776.

Jobs that are most impacted by this kind of minimum increase, such as service and retail, also often have different salaries based on gender. In 2017, retail salespersons typically made different wages depending on if they were male or female: A male, full-time worker made an average $50,593, while women working full-time made just $36,979.

Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services was contacted for a comment, but no directors were available to make a statement about minimum wage or the statistics in this story before deadline.

Natalie Hanson covers the city of Chico, seniors and general assignments for the Chico Enterprise-Record after previously editing and writing for A&E. She has written and edited for multiple publications including The Orion at Chico State and is studying journalism and international relations. She is passionate about student journalism, covering the community and quality coffee.